This video (see below) that my Allegheny College soccer teammate Ryan Hilty made, has a dual purpose. The first purpose was to create content for the Allegheny Men’s Soccer team Instagram page. Ryan describes the various challenges that Gator Athletic teams have posted on Instagram, like the "pass the ball" challenge and "juggling challenge", as inspiration to create something similar involving all of the players.
Ryan also had another motivation.
He wanted to create something that involved everyone to create a sense of community and brotherhood amongst the team.
The team is a big part of Ryan’s Allegheny experience and he misses interacting with them on a day-to-day basis on campus.
“I really enjoyed being able to check up on everyone while receiving everyone’s footage. It had been a few weeks since we had left campus and it was good to hear everyone was safe with their families” Ryan said when describing the types of connections he was able to make while creating the video. These types of connections are what Ryan was missing and so desperately craved during his time at home during the pandemic.
The making of the video itself had no shortage of entertaining moments. Throughout the process, Ryan enjoyed being able to collaborate with the rest of the team, in trying to find the right way for them to film their scenes so that all of the different clips meshed well together to create a fluid video.
Using many different types of trick shots and unique clips, Ryan was able to have fun with his teammates even we could not be together. Ryan also enjoyed creating the dialogue and a storyline for the video with one of his teammates and friends.
Little touches like the soccer ball bouncing off trees, goalposts, and signs, allowed him to come up with his own creative ways of producing the content.
Looking back at the video after posting it online, Ryan is very happy with the work that he and the rest of the team did.
Seeing the ball being passed from player to player on the team, is a reminder of how, even when everyone is apart and dealing with the pandemic, we are still very connected by our Gator Sports and the bonds of the larger Gator Community.
Though it was a crisis that prompted Ryan to do something fun, and bring joy to others watching the video, the positivity of the entire team was something that Ryan wanted to share with the larger Gator community. Ryan sums up the experience as one of his favorite memories from the spring 2020 semester. Even at a time when everyone is at home practicing "social distancing", Ryan has been able to show that people can still connect, make lasting memories, and have fun together, while apart!
~~ Video: Ryan Hilty (Allegheny College Men's Soccer Team, Class of '22. Story: Jack Barron-Sluga, Allegheny College Men's Soccer Team, Class of '22).
LET'S PASS THE GOODNESS ON FROM GATOR TO GATOR. IF YOU CAN SHOW YOU CARE BY CLICKING ON THE BUTTON AND GIVING TO A STUDENT IN NEED, YOU TOO CAN EXPERIENCE THE JOY OF THE SOCCER VIDEO CHALLENGE YOU WATCHED ABOVE.
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